Last year UGC overhauled its project proposal submission format. They told us that it would be done online. The only thing I can say about it was that the submission was an adventure. The entire system got hung up on the last day and there were many moments when I thought it was not worth it. The only thing that every paisa helps and the fact that my student was working very hard on the project motivated me to go through the entire process. I finished submitting about 8 in the evening and realized that the next day was Deepavali. So I ran to the mall opposite and picked the first dress off the hanger as the new dress for the festival. I also had my nephew staying with me and I took some of my frustration out on him by yelling at him.
It took UGC one year to process the application. In November 2014 I was told that the I had to come for an interface meeting at UGC in January.
That day happened to be one of the foggiest and coldest and windiest. The staff at UGC put up a tent in the back of the building and told us to wait there. So we waited. And waited. Till they would call us inside the building. And then we waited there some more. My turn came after lunch. UGC does not believe in presentations. They wanted to know how many papers I have published and why I was doing this particular project. That was it.
Again if I had not wanted that bit of extra money (I can buy three antibodies, yay!) I would have walked out. It was humiliating.
I learned few things about teachers from other parts of country. I would not have survived in those conditions. Every one is Ma'am and Sir. Including the clerk who was issuing attendance certificate (needed if one had taken duty leave to attend the meeting. As I had simply snucked out, I did not bother about it). Why is it that we cannot call each other by our given names?
The Hindustan Times reports that UGC is set to go. This was proposed by the UPA government itself.
All I can say it is Good Riddance but it all depends on what will replace the UGC. The UPA government had proposed a mega structure encompassing UGC, AICTE and various other bodies. That would be a disaster.
What we need is to give Universities more autonomy with respect to hiring, salary structure, and fund raising. That is how Universities abroad function. But I doubt if it will even happen. I believe, seeing how this government is functioning, it will be just old wine repackaged in a new bottle. With a dash of saffron thrown in.
Oh yes! I got the grant. As I said, I can buy three antibodies. Yay!
It took UGC one year to process the application. In November 2014 I was told that the I had to come for an interface meeting at UGC in January.
That day happened to be one of the foggiest and coldest and windiest. The staff at UGC put up a tent in the back of the building and told us to wait there. So we waited. And waited. Till they would call us inside the building. And then we waited there some more. My turn came after lunch. UGC does not believe in presentations. They wanted to know how many papers I have published and why I was doing this particular project. That was it.
Again if I had not wanted that bit of extra money (I can buy three antibodies, yay!) I would have walked out. It was humiliating.
I learned few things about teachers from other parts of country. I would not have survived in those conditions. Every one is Ma'am and Sir. Including the clerk who was issuing attendance certificate (needed if one had taken duty leave to attend the meeting. As I had simply snucked out, I did not bother about it). Why is it that we cannot call each other by our given names?
The Hindustan Times reports that UGC is set to go. This was proposed by the UPA government itself.
All I can say it is Good Riddance but it all depends on what will replace the UGC. The UPA government had proposed a mega structure encompassing UGC, AICTE and various other bodies. That would be a disaster.
What we need is to give Universities more autonomy with respect to hiring, salary structure, and fund raising. That is how Universities abroad function. But I doubt if it will even happen. I believe, seeing how this government is functioning, it will be just old wine repackaged in a new bottle. With a dash of saffron thrown in.
Oh yes! I got the grant. As I said, I can buy three antibodies. Yay!
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